Receptacle handle



March 19, 1957 A. J. MAPPES RECEFTACLE] HANDLE Filed June 6, 1955INVENTOR. ALFRED J MAPPES ATTORN E United States Patent RECEPTACLEHANDLE Alfred J. Mappes, Carthage, Ohio, assignor of one-half to RobertI. Rigsby, Reading, Ohio Application June 6, 1955, Serial No. 513,182

4 Claims. (Cl. 220-96) This invention relates to a receptacle handle orbail, and involves the provision of means to selectively hold the handlein an upright position in readiness for grasping when. the user desiresto move or carry the receptacle.

An object of the invention is to provide a handle structure of thecharacter stated, which eliminates reliance upon springs or metal temperfor its proper operation, so that the container equipped wit-h theimproved handle structure may be subjected to flame heating from time totime for removal of residual paint or similar material accumulatedwithin the receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle structure of thekind referred to, which may be manufactured andv assembled with aminimum or expense, using simple and inexpensively formed parts few innumher.

A further object is to provide means in a device of the characterstated, for automatically guiding the handle to upright carryingposition. when. flipped or swung casually toward said position, therebyobviating any need for a deliberate disposition of the handle to saidposition.

Another object is to include in the structure means precludingaccidental detachment of the handle from the receptacle in use ortransport.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means describedherein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a container equipped with theimproved handle structure of the invention, the handle being shown inthe upright carrying or operative position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the handle in theinoperative or lowered position, other positions being indicated bybroken lines.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragment-a1 cross-sectional view taken on line 55of Fig. 1.

Containers or receptacles of the general type illustrated upon thedrawing are commonly used as paint pots, glue pots, or the like, andwhen so used it is considered desirable to at times latch the handle inan upright position, or lower it to an inoperative non-interferingposition substantially parallel to the rim 7 of the receptacle.Disposition of the handle to the upright position of Fig. l latches itagainst inadvertent displacement from that position, and not onlymaintains the handle in readiness for grasping, but makes possible alsothe use of the handle as a firm means for suspending paint brushes orother objects above the open top of the receptacle. For suspensionpurposes, the handle 8 may be provided with one or more laterallyextended loops or hangers 9 formed integrally from the wire or rodconstituting the handle, or if preferred, such loops or hangers may beapplied to the handle as separate attachments, in known manner.

The receptacle or container 10 has the usual rim 7, bot- 2,785,826Patented Mar. 19,. 1957 tom 12, and side wall 13 formedcommonly fromsheet metal. It may or may not. include a lid or cover. At oppositevends of a diameter of the rim are attached the handle socket member 14,which may be stamped or formed from sheet, metal or other suitablematerial, and adapted to embrace opposite end portions of the handle.The socket members may be secured to the receptacle side wall in anyacceptable manner, preferably below the rim 7, as by means of rivets orwelds 15.

Each socket member may consist of a metallic body comprising a centralcup-16 forming a chamber 17 closed by the receptacle side wall, said cupbeing flanked by oppositely extending ears or Wings 18 which serve asmounts for the socket members. The ears may be formed as extensions of aflange 19 which is integral with the cup and lends rigidity thereto. Inthe preferred form of theinvention, though not of necessity, each cup 14is provided with a top wall or hood 20 to exclude foreign objects orsubstances that might enter and interfere with freedom of handlemovements. The cup may includea-lso apair of opposed sidewalls 21, and apair of oppositely disposed upwardly and outwardly inclined bottom walls22, the inner faces of which provide inclined tracks upon which mayslide the terminal end 23 of the handle as the handle is, swung upwardlytoward the operative position of Figs. 1 and 3.

The lower ends of the inclined bottom walls 22 are separated by a slotor opening 24 dimensioned to receive the terminal end 23 of the handle,when the handle is upright as illustrated by Figs. 1 and 3, thereby tolatch the. handle in the upstanding operative position.

Each end portion of the handle is bent to substantial Z-shape, providingan inwardly projected bearing portion 25, and a forwardly projectedfinger portion 26 which includes the terminal end 23. The finger portionis oflset from, and may be substantially parallel to, the unbent handlewire where it extends upwardly from the bearing portion 25. The bearingportion may meet the finger 26 at an angle approximating a right angle,or perhaps a somewhat lesser angle. The fingers 26, hearing portions 25,and the remaining extent of the handle may all rest in a common plane,by preference.

To provide for pivotal swinging of the handle relative to the socketmembers, each socket member is provided with a vertically elongated slot27 formed in the main upright wall 28 of the cup element 16, which slotforms a bearing for the intermediate journal or bearing portion 25 ofthe handle. The cup chamber 17 envelopes the finger 26 and part of thebearing portion 25 as shown. The length of the bearing slot 27, and itslocation in the wall 28, are such that the handle may be liftedvertically upwardly to withdraw the finger 26 and its terminal end 23clear of the opening 24, thereby to release the handle for lateralswinging movement relative to the socket. In so lifting and swinging thehandle, its terminal end 23 will clear the inclined tracks of the walls22 of the cup.

Assuming now that the handle is to be swung from the inoperativeposition shown in full lines at 8 of Fig. 4, upwardly and toward thevertical, the handle will tend to settle in the slot 27 and therebycause the terminal end 23 to ride downwardly along the adjacent inclinedtrack 22, until finally said end 23 plunges into the bottom opening 24to latch the handle in the upright operative position. In this position,the bearing portion 25 of the handle will repose at the extreme lowerend of slot 27, which limits the downward shifting of the handle andestablishes the extent to which the finger 26 may enter the bottomopening 24 of the socket, to latch the handle in the upright operativeposition.

Subsequent bodily lifting of the handle disables the latch and permitsswinging of the handle to the inoperative or lowered position aspreviously explained.

In the preferred construction, the finger portion 26 of the handle ismade longer than the slot 27 of the socket, so that the handle may notbe detached from the socket, subsequently to initial assembly. Thisensures complete reliability of performance, and prevents such accidentsas might resultfrom insecure handle mountings.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the device of the inventionis simple, easy to operate, and durable in construction. The latching ofthe handle in the operative position is automatic, and due to theabsence of any dependency upon springs or inherent resiliency of themetal parts employed, the device will never fail in operation aftersubjection to the usual burning treatment employed in removing sedimentor accumulations of substances from the pot or receptacle.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes in thestructural details of the device may be made, within the scope of theappended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a receptaclehaving opposite side wall portions, a handle having ends spanning thelatter, said handle including a depending finger at one end ofthe'handle, and a bearing portion adjacent to said finger, a socketmember fixed to a side wall portion of the receptacle, said socketmember being in the form of a hollow cup having a vertically slottedmain wall in which the bearing portion of the handle is journalled forswinging movement of the handle from an inoperative lowered position toan operative upright position, a bottom wall on the hollow cup having abottom opening receptive of the finger when the handle is upright, thevertical slot of the main wall being of such length that bodily liftingof the handle relative to the slot withdraws the finger from the bottomopening of the cup to release the handle for swinging movement, andmeans on the receptacle for pivotally supporting the remaining end ofthe handle.

2. A device as specified in claim 1, wherein is included aninclinedtrack on the'bottom wall of the cup, the track having an end terminatingat the opening in the bottom wall of the cup, and the finger of thehandle having a terminal end to ride upon the inclined track as thehandle is swung from the inoperative position to the upright operativeposition aforesaid.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a receptaclehaving opposite side wall portions, a swingable handle having endsspanning the latter, said handle including a' depending finger at oneend of the handle, and a bearing portion adjacent to said finger, asocket member fixed to a side wall portion of the receptacle, saidsocket member having a vertically slotted main upright wall and anapertured bottom wall, the slot of said main upright wall providing ajournal for the bearing portion of the handle, and the aperture of thebottom wall being receptive of the finger of the handle when the latteris disposed in upright operative position, the slot aforesaid being ofsuch length that bodily lifting of the handle when upright withdraws thefinger from the bottom wall aperture, the slot being limited in lengthto a dimension smaller than the length of the finger, and means on thereceptacle for pivotally supporting the remaining end of the handle.

4. A device as specified in claim 3, wherein the socket includes a hoodabove the bottom Wall aperture of the socket, to preclude entry offoreign matter into the socket from above.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS686,841 Bertels Nov. 19, l90l 1,199,680 Fabian a- Sept. 26, 1916 FOREIGNPATENTS 499,367 Belgium Mar. 1, 1951

